Kaitou Red Lotus
by ryder77
Summary: When phantom thieves steal, they aren't exactly stealthy. Their targets always know they're coming, they always show up on time, and they always get away with their prize. The thrill of the challenge feeds them. For Red Lotus, it's also all very theatrical. After all, what else is there to expect if your handler is the brilliant Zero?
1. Phantom Thievery 101

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters belong to Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

Phantom Thievery 101:

Choose your target ― CHECK!

Study the location ― CHECK!

Plan your entrance ― CHECK!

Send your note to the item's owner ― CHECK!

Get the item ― CHECK!

So far, so good.

NOT! she said in her thoughts. She now sincerely wished that someone had indeed written an actual manual for phantom thieves. Especially for two items she had yet to check off the list.

Plan your getaway ― X

Wave to the police and vanish into the night ― X

She was doing very, _VERY_ terribly at both.

She sighed. Her favorite comic made it look super easy. From what she experienced so far (all during her first heist, by the way), she'd want to add at least two more things to that list, namely,

One: Tick _everything_ off the list before actually going through with it; and

Two: Don't go at it solo.

She especially regretted not considering the second one. She really, _really_ wished somebody could tell her which way to go without getting spotted, right now. She supposed she should congratulate herself for lasting over ten minutes since the alarms went off without getting caught, but her choices for an escape route when (or if) she finally managed to exit the building with her quarry diminished with every passing second. She tried going over the possible exits in her head again, but in her increasing panic, she couldn't focus on which exits were already blocked off. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she pressed her back further against the wall she was leaning on. She knew she should move from her hiding place, but the feeling of hopelessness was already taking over her mind. The footsteps were coming closer. It was too late. They'd catch her for sure! She closed her eyes tightly, letting a teardrop fall.

 _Naoto, I'm sorry!_

The wall she was leaning on suddenly flipped sideways, making her fall to the floor of the room behind it. She blinked once before watching the wall she just fell through spin back into position, the portal closing as silently as it had opened.

The sound of something clattering to the floor broke the silence, and immediately she thought of something else to add to future checklists:

Wear the proper gear.

Honestly, what was she _thinking_ , wearing only her high school gym leotards and tights (dyed black just last night) to a heist? She needed something that at least had pockets! Picking up the dropped flash drive she slipped it under her top, hoping that her other assets had a better grip on it than her now shaking hands could offer. She froze next, having heard voices from the other side of the wall she fell through. When the guards finally moved on after a few seconds of conversation, she released the breath she was holding, silently thanking her luck for falling through the hidden door the way she did. Panic having faded somewhat, she then quietly got up and took stock of her surroundings.

She whirled to the sound of light clicks ―not unlike that of a ballpoint pen― from the deeper within the room. She squinted to get a better look in the darkness toward the general direction of its source. When the clicks came again, she walked toward what looked like an opening to a corridor ― one she didn't recall seeing in any of the blueprints she perused. She stopped herself before she could call out to ask if anyone was there; she _was_ trying to make a getaway, after all. Once in the corridor the clicks came again, this time to the left, from deeper into the darkness. Having assumed that whoever (or whatever) was making the clicks was also the one responsible for opening that wall, she took a gamble and followed the sounds wherever it led her. What could be worse that getting caught, right?

After a while, when she had moved a fair distance from where all the commotion was, it had grown quiet enough that she noticed the sound of light footsteps from the same direction as the clicks. She picked up her pace, hoping to catch a glimpse of her guide, but whoever it was also picked up their pace, staying just far away from her to keep her at a distance while making sure she was following. The apparent dead end ahead of them swung open, and she saw the silhouette of a person before the wall swung closed behind the figure. She broke into a run, hoping to catch the person in the next room, only to be blinded by the light of what appeared to be a locker room. When her eyesight adjusted enough to the brightness, she noted that the wall she just passed through disappeared behind a broom closet that slid back into place. Hanging on the door of said broom closet was a jumpsuit of the janitorial staff, coincidentally in her size, with a note attached to it:

 _Put this on and leave through the door. If anybody asks, tell them you fell asleep._

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she quickly decided to do as the note said and put on the jumpsuit. Preparing to leave, she noticed that the door was locked from the inside. She looked one more time around the room, and immediately gave up. Whoever she was following probably left through another hidden door. She turned the latch and left the room, to run directly into the path of one head janitress.

"There you are!" she said. "What were you doing in there?"

"Fell asleep, Ma'am," she replied, faking an accent. "Won't happen again, Ma'am."

"Go on, get out of here!" she dismissed her, gesturing wildly. "If anybody sees you, it'll be my neck on the line."

"Right away, Ma'am!" Nothing more was said.

Once outside, she noticed that the police cars that had been surrounding the building were quickly driving away, as if to go on a chase. Not believing her luck, she walked calmly away in the opposite direction, thus completing her first act as a criminal.

When the sounds of sirens were faint enough, she slipped into an alley and finally allowed herself to relax. Leaning against one wall and sighing heavily, she checked out her prize one more time, and found it where she put it.

 _Information_. That was what she was truly after. That brooch with the gigantic gem that she said she would be stealing was just for show (she actually left it wrapped in blue toilet paper in some wastebasket). While they were guarding the jewelry, she was elsewhere, already hacking into the owner's data to get what she needed. That done, she went to steal the artifact as promised, then tried to escape.

She thought back to her guide. Whoever they were, she owed them her life. She hoped she could somehow, someday find a way to―

Deep in thought, her right hand had absentmindedly gone into the jumpsuit's pocket, and found something there. She pulled it out, and it turned out to be a glossy business card. One side said "I'll be in touch." in elegant script. The other side contained only a black oval with a straight line going diagonally across it. She had seen this mark before.

"Zero?"

-.o.O.o.-

"Well?"

"All according to your plan, as per usual."

A pause. "Not all of it."

A scoff. "So you made one mistake. Big deal. It's not like you won't get another chance."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Of course. What sort of accomplice would I be if I don't at least try lift your spirits?"

Silence.

"So, did she pass?"

"An assessment is still in order. Commence phase two on Monday."

A raised eyebrow. "So soon?"

"It should be enough time."

"For you?"

"You can go, witch."

A pause. "As you wish."


	2. Starting with Zero

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters belong to Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

Nothing is without its predecessor.

Artists like the famed Leonardo da Vinci had their skills honed by a mentor. In a similar vein, the best swordsmiths of Japan gained their reputation by improving on techniques passed through generations, making them renowned worldwide.

In this story, Kallen Kozuki's predecessor didn't come from that far back.

The phantom thief Zero, perpetrator of seemingly petty ―but nonetheless flashy― thievery among the city's elite, turned out to have chosen targets that shared a connection within the Britannia organization's inner circle. His final heist, which ended in a fire in which he incurred his only casualty, completed a series of twelve targets that, when the facts of each case were strung together, had exposed corruption of such a large scale with Britannia in its center. The strength of the evidence solid, it had brought Britannia to its knees. So great was the revelation that a then-rookie cop named Naoto Kozuki, who never let go of the individual cases until Zero was finally arrested, instantly climbed three ranks, securing his place and reputation as city name's keeper of the peace at barely the age of twenty-five.

Britannia, however, was not a behemoth easily beaten. They had taken less than a year to resume their operations, almost as if their near-fall was but one short nightmare. Law enforcement was quickly brought under pressure by the organization's victims, especially those under witness protection. Naoto Kozuki, undeterred by the mysterious sudden inactivity of Zero, brought it upon himself to stop the organization on his own. What intel he had, however, led him into a trap, from which he barely escaped with his life. He lost consciousness just as medical personnel arrived to assist him, and had yet to regain consciousness since.

And so Kallen Kozuki, who just returned home from a boarding school in Europe, swore to bring her brother's would-be killers to justice. She already expected little help from the police force (Naoto having revealed to her that the umbrella of corruption had long ago reached their ranks), so she thought to give the phantom thief's path a try, hence her attempt at a heist.

"And guess what, Naoto," she narrated from her seat beside his hospital bed, "I was sure I was a goner, if it wasn't for that wall suddenly opening.

"You know," she went on, not really expecting a response from her counterpart, "I could swear I was being watched the whole time, or at least it felt that way. In hindsight, since somebody _did_ help me get away, I suppose it wasn't just my imagination."

"Anyway, I haven't been able to check the data I got. Couldn't find the time. Who would've thought job-hunting was the tougher thing to pull off." She finished with a bitter laugh. "Or maybe I was aiming too high? Flexible hours on a steady paycheck for a dropout like me." She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Wish me better luck tomorrow."

A knock came at the door. She stood up to answer it, wondering who could be dropping by so close to the end of visiting hours.

"Delivery, Ma'am," greeted the (vaguely familiar) woman bearing a flower-and-fruit basket.

"Thank you," she answered back, accepting the basket without question. The delivery woman left without another word. Kallen merely shrugged, then closed the door to her brother's room, already working to put the flowers into a vase. With the flowers neatly arranged in the vase, she checked the basket for the giver's card. She found the small envelope tucked between the handle and an orange. She opened it to reveal a glossy business card with an address, date, and time written on one side, and on the other the mark that she was already acquainted with, but made her gasp just the same.

"Zero."

-.o.O.o.-

"She needs a job, apparently."

"I see. Plan three-B it is."

"How long have you been plotting this out?"

A short silence, then "Since he told me he had a sister."

-.o.O.o.-

"This is... the place?"

She checked the address, her phone's GPS, and her watch one more time to check if she got everything right. As far as what her senses told her, she got all three right. But...

"Ashford Publishing," she read the fading letters painted on the door. The date of its founding was also written, though only the final digit (a zero) was the only one still legible. She shrugged. "Might as well knock."

Her knuckles never met their mark.

"You. Are. Late!" said the blonde that opened the door. "Come on," and she was being pulled through the door down a narrow corridor. "Honestly, can't that agency of yours send someone who would show up on time for ONCE?!"

"But they said seven thirt―"

"So they're still stuck on that timezone? Pfft! Well, since it's their fault they never updated their clocks, you're off the hook."

By now, they have reached the main work area of cramped cubicles, with walls lined by tall stacks of printed material and framed magazine covers. "S.C. Magazine" she read as she passed one. She vaguely recalled Naoto mentioning that this was the only periodical worth its content (his exact words were "content worth the paper it's printed on," actually) in this city. The magazine classified itself as a tabloid, though, so its credibility wasn't up there.

After a while, she noticed that she was being led past the main work area to a dark corner. "Wait," she tried protesting, but not quickly enough as a door was opened to a stairwell leading down. The noise that came from below suggested that this was where the actual printing was done.

"Come on," the blonde spoke again before leading her downstairs and through the rows of printing machinery, which confirmed her guess. At the very end of the area was a nondescript door. Any other person would think that the room beyond would be meant for storage, but Kallen noticed at once that the doorknob was shiny, suggesting regular use. Her captor opened the door and pulled her through it without any explanation, then closed it behind them, throwing them into sudden quiet.

"So," she spoke after some of the ringing in their ears eased somewhat, "welcome to the Dungeon! That's your desk right there." She followed her gesture to see a very basic work desk, empty except for a calendar that covered the entirety of its top. _Two months behind,_ she noted. The chair beside it was one of those plastic party chairs, with the end of the front left leg chipped off. After noting these, she looked around. The room itself was spacious, but was mostly lined with filing cabinets. The wall furthest from the door was lined with a curtain, though the musty smell suggested there was no window behind them. Just ahead of the curtain-lined wall was a professional-looking work desk, its top filled with multiple piles of folders, magazines, and continuous paper from older printer models.

"Why do you keep calling my office that, Milly?"

Kallen nearly jummped at the sound of the voice. She hadn't noticed that there was a third person in the room.

"Because it's dark, dreary, and you hardly leave it?"

"Irrelevant. Am I your prisoner?"

"No."

"Then it's not a dungeon."

"Fine," the blonde ―Milly, apparently― rolled her eyes in response. "Here's the new girl from the agency."

"Hm," came the man's voice. He looked her up and down, as if inspecting a piece of merch―

"You'll do."

"Huh?" She blinked. She didn't even get to finish the thought and he already decided.

"Milly, you know what to do."

"W-wait."

"At least let her tell you her name, Lelouch."

"I already know."

With a gesture that said "I give up," Kallen got pulled back to the main floor to what was the Chief Editor's office.

"Congrats. You start tomorrow, apparently."

"Just like that? I mean," she tried explaining, "Not that I'm complaining, but, uh-"

"Sorry in advance," said Milly while she shuffled various papers on her desk. "Lelouch goes through assistants you've never seen. He hires them off the bat, but so far none have lasted longer than a week. For various reasons."

"I... see."

"Honestly, I feel bad for all your predecessors. I swear if he hadn't agreed on giving two weeks advance pay, I'd say he's downright cruel.

"He're's yours," Kallen accepted the proferred slip of paper. "You can cash it in the bank just across the street. Here's the company employee handbook; pretty basic for most companies, except for the extra sheet here," she pointed to a differently-colored sheet of paper, "where you'll see Lelouch's idea of a dress code. You can just read through them later and ask me any questions tomorrow. The dress code is an absolute, though, according to him."

"G-got it, I guess."

"Honestly, if only he wasn't the one keeping all our readers... Anyway, the rest of the day is yours! See you tomorrow!"

Needless to say, Kallen left the premises of Ashford Publishing quite confused. Did something good happen? Yes, since she now had a job and two weeks advance pay. Did something bad happen? Maybe, because she felt like she fell through a rabbit hole. Of course, she'd give everyone she met so far the benefit of the doubt until she worked with everyone after a while. She had cashed her cheque with these thoughts in mind and thought to peruse the employee handbook during her train ride home.

"You've got to be kidding me!" was what she would've blurted out if Milly hadn't commented on her new boss' -Lelouch's- idea of a dress code. Breathing a heavy sigh, she began planning a shopping trip since her current wardrobe would't be enough to fulfill said dress code. She opened the cash envelope that held her pay, thinking to set aside an amount for the clothes, when she noticed something else inserted between the bills. Recognizing it for what it was, she waited until she disembarked and away from prying eyes before she pulled it out completely.

"Tomorrow. The bridge. 11:55pm. Don't be late."

-.o.O.o.-

Her first day had been uneventful. Or that was the explanation she offered when one would ask her about it. She simply couldn't wait till the day was over, and it didn't matter if it was because she was bored at work or it was excited for what would come that night.

She arrived at the appointed place and time, followed a set of clues that led her to the site of her first heist, and got herself a ride in a car with blacked-out windows to this location where nobody would've been the wiser should a murder have ocurred here. She wasn't the slightest bit frightened, however, as she was confident that her abductor, in her mind, could only be one person.

"Welcome, Kallen Kozuki," came Zero's disembodied voice. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

A/N:

I actually wanted to write more, but since Rotations hit 10K views this past weekend (throws confetti), I decided to post this sooner.

As mentioned in the preview story, I'll be taking it down shortly after posting this chapter.

Ideas for heists are still being accepted. I already have the plot points down, but a kaitou story without aMAYzing heists is like CG without geass. Hoping to hear from you all!

As usual, feedback is always appreciated.

~ryder77


	3. Baby Steps

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters belong to Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

Clad only in her underwear, Kallen let her entire body drop into her bed atop the covers. Sore even in places she never knew functional muscles existed, she was exhausted beyond she ever thought possible. She had half the mind to regret actually meeting up and getting trained by Zero.

No, not Zero himself, she reminded herself. He hadn't been actually there, but had spoken through a two-way radio on one side of the hideout. After a quick interview on what sports she played and other hobbies she had that involved physical activity, she was introduced to an older woman. Masked, she observed. It hadn't surprised her, as she had yet to earn anybody's trust after being rescued from a botched heist. What did surprise her, though, was the woman introducing herself as an actual ninja.

The rest of the evening was then spent testing her physical limits. How long can she last hanging from a handlebar with only one hand? How long can she hold an arabesque without shaking? How long can she jog silently before her footfalls become noticeable?

Many times through the ordeal she had to hold back her tears. She was no slouch in athletics ―she did gymnastics while in boarding school, even― but keeping still took a lot more effort than she ever thought possible. Still, she was determined not to utter a single word of complaint, and so she pushed herself in every single test, not at all considering saving energy for whatever would, or could, come next.

"Enough," Zero's voice finally came after what felt like tens of hours. She let out a breath she might have been holding the whole time. Then "We'll be in touch," and it was suddenly deathly quiet. A quick look around herself revealed that her ninja tormentor had gone as well. A beep from her phone (which had no reception since she left the rendezvous point) informed her of her current location, and how she would find her way home. By some miracle she did manage to arrive at her apartment without mishap, though with only enough energy to remove her sweaty clothes and drop on her bed.

She took a second to look at her alarm clock. It was 3:20am. Great, she thought, just over two hours before she needed to get up again. She checked that the alarm icon at one corner of the clock's display was active, before reviewing the night's events in her mind.

Her breaths evened out as soon as she closed her eyes.

-.o.O.o.-

"I'm so sorry!" she called out as soon as she entered Ashford Publishing. Her mind scrambled for what to say next. She was _sure_ her alarm was on but it didn't go off was the truth. She was also sure it was within the top five most-used excuses for tardiness. "It won't happen again," she promised instead.

"What are you doing here," came Shirley's query. "Milly told us you called in sick." Seeing Kallen's appearance, she stood up to approach her, concerned. "Are you okay? You look terrible."

Kallen could guess what the other girl was seeing: face pale from lack of sleep, dark circles around her eyes, hair unkempt from her rush. She supposed she was hunched, too, but it was because her sides ached, and the painkillers hadn't kicked in yet. "I―"

"Oh. My. God." came Milly's voice. "When Lelouch said you sounded terrible over the phone, you definitely look the part." Kallen winced when Milly held her at her biceps. The hold wasn't meant to hurt, but every part of her body was screaming. "Why did you suddenly decide to come?"

"I... I think I panicked," she offered, while letting a little croak in her voice. "I don't even remember calling... I guess I am a little out of it." All were true, if taken separately, and looking at the facts from a certain angle.

"First job high?" Milly didn't wait for answer. "Whatever the case, you should be in bed. Well call you a cab."

"If it's the same to you," she interrupted, not forgetting her weak act, "I think I'll have some tea first. I don't really have anything in my apartment."

"Okay," Milly whispered. "There's this tea place nearby that Lelouch loves. Might as well let you know where it is. He usually sends his assistants to get him something from there. Rivalz can take you there―"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"―and come right back. You have loads left to do, and Kallen here'll need the quiet." She finished with a wink.

Soon, Kallen found herself seated in one of the tables of the tea house. It was a small, nondescript place, though with an old-school feel of old Kyoto. _Mom's favorite place_ , she recalled. She took a seat near a window and browsed the menu. It was only because her neck hurt that she didn't boggle at the wide selection of teas.

"Have you decided, miss?"

Careful not to make her neck worse, she looked up to the speaker who was suddenly standing beside her. An employee of the shop, she deduced from the apron that the woman wore. A veteran, even, as her posture was picture perfect. "I'm afraid not," she finally replied. "I just wanted something to help me relax, and your shop has quite a selection."

"If it's for your stiff neck, I would like to recommend the yellow tea. It was my mother's original, and I found that it helps with most pains women like us go through."

She let out a laugh. "Am I that obvious," she paused, letting her eyes pass the name tag, "Sayoko?" She giggled more silently at the woman's sideways look. "Okay, I'll have that."

"Very good, miss."

-.o.O.o.-

The tea was _heavenly_ , Kallen recalled, lying on her bed, back in her apartment. She could make out the coolness of yellow ginger, the tang of lemon juice, the fruit candy sweetness of yuzu, among other flavors. The combination of it gave her what she could only describe as giddy girly goodness she hadn't felt in a long while. Plus, it did help with all the soreness she was feeling. Whether it reacted with the painkiller making it more effective, or it made her feel good enough to forget about the pain, she didn't care. She was relaxed, she felt good, she was sleepy. She closed her eyes promising herself she'd drop by that tea shop again. Soon.

-.o.O.o.-

"So," commented her boss as soon as she entered his office the next day, "you can read Japanese. Quite a skill you have there, Ms. Stadtfeld."

"Uhm," she stumbled. Was he even expecting a reply? How did he even _know_?! "I self-studied," she lied. "Middle school. Anime fan."

"Brief and to the point," he observed out loud. "I'm sure you learned that somewhere, but that's not how you talk to your boss."

"Sorry, sir."

"Especially when I wasn't asking any questions in the first place."

"Of course, sir."

"And are you sure you're ready to come back to work?"

"I am, sir."

"Good. Make sure not to volunteer any information in the future unless explicitly asked for it." A pause. "I like it quiet."

Kallen let her eyebrow twitch the slightest bit. He didn't need to say that last part at all, she thought. "I see. Sir." She added that last bit when he shifted his gaze to her questioningly.

"Back to work."

"Right away, sir."

-.o.O.o.-

Suzaku Kururugi didn't consider himself a bad cop. Nor did he consider himself a particularly good one. He'd be what many would call a "textbook" cop, for better or worse. Exceed your parking for a few seconds, he'd give you a ticket (never mind that it happened because your keys fell to the ground while opening your car's door, and you waited for traffic to pass before you attempted to pick it up). Yet, one wouldn't accuse him of abusing his authority; not out of fear, but there just wasn't anything you one could take against him when brought to the court of law. He was doing his job. Plain and simple. Merciless, yes, but it all was for the greater good of the city he protected.

 _Then why do I feel like a failure?_ he found himself thinking not for the first time today. Or any day, for that matter. He had his awards, yes, but he was never popular. He once had someone who he considered a friend. He also once had a partner who at least understood what he was all about, but he had lost them both.

Because he did the right thing.

Since that day he had been trying to figure out where he went wrong. How he ended up alienating everything that he considered "good" in his life. Was it his fault? No one would be able to pin the blame on him, as per usual. Was it their fault? Perhaps, but it sure didn't feel like it.

So whose fault was it?

He shook his head to banish the echoes of his conscience and his past. He needed to look forward.

"Cat! CAAAAAT!"

Like clockwork his feet floored the brakes while his hand pulled on the parking brake. Their stop was quick enough to avoid said feline, while steady enough to not activate the patrol car's airbags.

"Whoa," his new partner let out the breath he was holding, "you gotta teach me how to do that."

"It's all in the manual, Gino," came his automatic response. "If you paid attention."

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't say anything about cats in there," was Gino's comeback, with a grin.

Suzaku only rolled his eyes before undoing his seat belt, intending to check on the cat, and see whether its owner was nearby. Walking to the front of the patrol car, he immediately noticed the bandage at the cat's front paw. The cat hissed once before he picked it up, and was immediately docile. The absence of a collar meant the cat was a stray, but someone did take the time to bandage the injury. He looked around to see where he could set the cat down, when his eyes caught a familiar face. Instantly he was tense, so much that he hadn't even flinched when Gino draped an arm around his shoulders. His mind was running a mile a minute. How was he to go about this encounter?

-.o.O.o.-

Kallen nursed an itch from under the high collar that formed her new work's dress code. She didn't really have anything against it, but she had to admit it would take some getting used to. Immediately she could see why Milly called it "Lelouch's idea of a dress code": it was both functional (loose-fitting sweater with pockets over a white office shirt) yet unattractive (the ankle-length skirt-pants did nothing to flatter her hips, already toned-down by the sweater). Granted, she didn't really care whether or not she turned heads, but finding clothes on the conservative side in today's flaunt-it fashion sense...

Let it be said that she appreciated the clothing allowance that formed part of her pay.

With Lelouch's tea of the day in hand (Sayoko always knew what it was, and refused to tell her), she looked around to check on the cat whose front paw she bandaged the other day. Poor thing nearly got run over because it couldn't run for its life. She supposed she should check on the little guy, if only to check if her work did any actual good.

Scanning the area, she quickly spotted the bandaged paw a few meters away from her in the arms of someone in a policeman's uniform. She thought to approach the officer to thank him for looking after said cat, until she recognized who it was.

-.o.O.o.-

Their eyes met.

Suzaku Kururugi had honestly hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with Kallen just yet. He knew how she felt about him, and he had been actively avoiding her usual visiting hours when he dropped by his former partner's hospital room. Alas, fate seemed to have something else in mind. He should at least greet her, right? It was the "gentleman and an officer" thing to do.

"Goo―"

"Kururugi," she hissed, face contorted in fury behind the faux eyeglasses. With that reaction, only one thought formed in his mind.

 _This is bad._

* * *

A/N:

FINALLY got this out. This was mostly half-written since last July, and only needed to be written down. I actually set a personal deadline for posting this, namely X hits on one story I posted here, and a total of Y hits for all my stories in another site. As of this typing I'm 106 hits overdue for X, and 291 hits overdue for Y. To make it up to you guys, I intend to post another installment to another story (one of the _Rotations_ ) within the week.

Oh, and I'm still holding out for ideas on heists/capers for our kaitou-in-training. Hope you guys can help make this story more exciting :)

And a little shout-out to that reader from the Philippines (I don't know who, exactly) who apparently binge-read all my stories during an insanely rainy August morning. Whoever you are, I hope you enjoyed some of them.

Thanks for reading! As always, feedback is appreciated.


End file.
